Sunday, May 08, 2011

What a Man!

Hey, looks like I'm starting a new series here at The Wild Reed!

Last month IhighlightedEnglish rugby star Ben Cohen's anti-homophobia efforts. Today I spotlight U.S. hockey playerSean Avery's advocacy for same-sex marriage, a support that makes him the first professional athlete to join the video campaign "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality." I think the application of "What a Man!" to both of these guys is appropriate, don't you?

And from now on I'll be on the lookout for other stories of well-known straight men who, regardless of the risks to their careers or popularity, take a stand for LGBT people and their civil rights. And together these posts will comprise The Wild Reed's "What a Man!" series!

ThatNew York Rangerswinger Sean Avery [left] is an advocate for gay rights isn't news. When asked earlier this year about a gay player coming out in the NHL, Averysaid"I'll stand beside him in the dressing room while he tells his teammates he is gay. Maybe if Sean Avery is there, they would have less of a problem with it."

That New York Rangers winger Sean Avery has politicized that advocacy is news. Because no matter how outspoken a professional hockey player is, they rarely give voice to an issue in a formal campaign.

Yet here's Avery, in an endorsement ad for Human Rights Campaign's "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign" that was released this week. And hockey's better for it.

According to HRC strategist Brian Ellner, Avery is the first professional athlete in New York to "publicly support marriage equality."

"The places I've played and lived the longest have been in West Hollywood, Calif., when I played for the L.A. Kings, and when I moved to New York, I lived in Chelsea for the first four years," Avery said in a phone interview. "I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in New York and when you live in L.A., you certainly have a lot of gay friends."

Avery, who lives in the SoHo section of Manhattan and keeps a home in Los Angeles, said some of those friends had wanted to marry, and he saw no reason they should not.

"I'm certainly open to it," he said. "Maybe I can help, and I jumped at this opportunity."

Now, Avery is one of the most divisive players in the NHL because of his antics, and frequently called on its most hated players. Rangers blog Blue Line Station worries that Avery's endorsement will somehow be used against him by critics: "You can bank on other fans trying to find a way to make this an example of him being 'classless.'" But that's a stretch.

Secondly, it's inspiring to see an NHL player have an actual on-the-record opinion on something beyond frivolity. Hate the player, hate his politics … how many fans are going to sit there and condemn Avery for doing this? For speaking out? Isn't it nice to know at least some of these guys give a damn about something?

Granted, this is good business for Avery, too. They're his politics, but they're also part of his brand: Fashion, restaurants, whatever sort of commentary he enters into after his playing days. To say something off the cuff is different than a calculated effort to endorse a movement, at least for someone as well-known as Avery.

Obviously, you can't mention a hockey player and homosexual rights without evokingBrendan Burkeand what his legacy inspired. The levels of compassion and understanding that followed his coming out, and the actions of his father Brian Burke after Brendan's death, laid a foundation for players like Avery to not seem entirely out of step with hockey's current social norms.

You also can't mention Sean Avery in support of gays without recalling the problems the New York Rangers have had with that community in years past, with gay fansclaimingMSG was a cesspool of homophobia. Having Avery, in his Rangers sweater, in these ads can only be a good thing image-wise and for building stronger bonds with that community.

Avery doesn't speak for hockey, but he speaks as a hockey player, and that's important.

I established The Wild Reed in 2006 as a sign of solidarity with all who are dedicated to living lives of integrity – though, in particular, with gay people seeking to be true to both the gift of their sexuality and their Catholic faith. The Wild Reed's original by-line read, "Thoughts and reflections from a progressive, gay, Catholic perspective." As you can see, it reads differently now. This is because my journey has, in many ways, taken me beyond, or perhaps better still, deeper into the realities that the words "progressive," "gay," and "Catholic" seek to describe.

Even though reeds can symbolize frailty, they may also represent the strength found in flexibility. Popular wisdom says that the green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm. Tall green reeds are associated with water, fertility, abundance, wealth, and rebirth. The sound of a reed pipe is often considered the voice of a soul pining for God or a lost love.

On September 24, 2012,Michael BaylyofCatholics for Marriage Equality MNwas interviewed by Suzanne Linton of Our World Today about same-sex relationships and why Catholics can vote 'no' on the proposed Minnesota anti-marriage equality amendment.

Readers write . . .

"I believe your blog to be of utmost importance for all people regardless of their orientation. . . . Thank you for your blog and the care and dedication that you give in bringing the TRUTH to everyone."– William

"Michael, if there is ever a moment in your day or in your life when you feel low and despondent and wonder whether what you are doing is anything worthwhile, think of this: thanks to your writing on the internet, a young man miles away is now willing to embrace life completely and use his talents and passions unashamedly to celebrate God and his creation. Any success I face in the future and any lives I touch would have been made possible thanks to you and your honesty and wisdom."– AB

"Since I discovered your blog I have felt so much more encouraged and inspired knowing that I'm not the only gay guy in the Catholic Church trying to balance my Faith and my sexuality. Continue being a beacon of hope and a guide to the future within our Church!"– Phillip

"Your posts about Catholic issues are always informative and well researched, and I especially appreciate your photography and the personal posts about your own experience. I'm very glad I found your blog and that I've had the chance to get to know you."– Crystal

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"Reading your blog leaves me with the consolation of knowing that the words Catholic, gay and progressive are not mutually exclusive.."– Patrick

"I grieve for the Roman institution’s betrayal of God’s invitation to change. I fear that somewhere in the midst of this denial is a great sin that rests on the shoulders of those who lead and those who passively follow. But knowing that there are voices, voices of the prophets out there gives me hope. Please keep up the good work."– Peter

"I ran across your blog the other day looking for something else. I stopped to look at it and then bookmarked it because you have written some excellent articles that I want to read. I find your writing to be insightful and interesting and I'm looking forward to reading more of it. Keep up the good work. We really, really need sane people with a voice these days."– Jane Gael